


Sleeping Androids

by PhiaLee



Category: Funhaus, Funhaus RPF, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Science Fiction, Space Stations, everyone is in space!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 22:30:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4323252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhiaLee/pseuds/PhiaLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joel thought space made him happy but it doesn't. Space is full of danger and losing those you love and a quick death around every corner. He doesn't want to be here anymore. </p><p>Space AU inspired by my love for the Sci-Fi genre. Originally posted on tumblr and continued here. My second FH work ever! Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleeping Androids

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points to whoever can say what the title is referencing. I may change the title later but for now, que sera sera.

The stars illuminate against the black canvas of the universe through the wall of glass at Joel's side. The colorful surfaces of nearby planets provide a beautiful distraction for when he is in the need of inspiration. In space, you can see things you never imagined you would see on Earth. Planets in colors and patterns too foreign to see on your front lawn. Asteroids in odd shapes whizzing past your nose at the speed of a car. So many things they never taught you about in school are out in space right now and Joel is lucky enough to be seeing it. Joel loved space ever since he was a child. Working among the stars with people he loves is a dream come true. He gazes out into the ever-expanding sea of stars and thinks about his life back on Earth. He had been away from home for 4 months now. He knows this is only the start of his time out in station but he still counts the days when he is able to see his dogs and loving girlfriend again.

 

Joel turns away from the window and back to the opened cable box before him. Wires stretch against the loss of gravity from inside the box and Joel's tools float near his head. He had docked himself to the wall with two tethers tied to wall anchors and clips around his work belt. He hated doing the dirty work of rewiring circuits but he's devoted to the ship's engine and will make sure no one touches it but him. If there's a problem, he has to be the one to fix it. He wouldn't give his engine up for the world.

 

The sound of the airlock fizz follows James as he comes floating down the wide corridor, searching for Joel. He looks up and sees Joel sitting cross-legged on the ceiling. James launches himself at a crawling pace to the opposite wall, about two arms lengths from the other man. Joel looks up and watches James float into view, his wide eyes turning to a squint and his shoulders contracting upwards as he hits his head on a white panel. Joel smiles at the upside-down man before him who winces a smile back.

 

“Joel, I need you to look at these numbers from last week,” James reports, “It's not good.” He rubs the part of his head that hit the panel and looks at Joel through pained eyes.

 

Joel nods, returning to his work, “okay in a minute. This circuit's gone nuts.”

 

“But I think it's important if you-”

 

A voice buzzing over the small black radios on both of their belts interrupts James.

 

 _“Joel, we have a problem in the cockpit.”_ Bruce's voice crackles through both of their speakers in perfect time.

 

Joel unhooks the radio from his work belt and holds a button, “can it wait a minute, Bruce?” he sighs into the box, not taking his eyes off the wires.

 

 _“I don't think so, Joel,”_ Bruce replies.

 

“Well, it's gonna have to,” Joel demands into the radio. He clips it back onto his work belt and looks forward at James, “go on.”

 

James holds the papers up to his face, “well, in last week's-”

 

Bruce interrupts once again, _“Joel, I don't think you understand. We have a serious problem.”_

 

Joel rolls his eyes and reaches back for the radio. “One minute Bruce, please.”

 

_“But Joel, I-”_

 

“I can't do three things at once, Bruce. Can you hang on?”

 

James raises a brow at Joel, “I think his problem is more important, Joel.”

 

“I'll just let Lawrence finish it,” Joel sighs to James. He turns the speaker back on the radio and demands, “get Lawrence to help you, Bruce.”

 

 _“I would but I can't find him,”_ Bruce says with worry.

 

Joel raises a brow at James who shrugs in response, “is that your problem?”

 

_“No Joel, it's-”_

 

“Just go help him, Joel,” James suggests, talking over Bruce.

 

“Quiet!” Joel snaps, “repeat that, Bruce.”

 

Silence. Both men look at each other as static erupts from Joel's radio.

 

“Bruce? Do you copy?” Joel asks, confusion rising in his voice.

 

The static makes a harsh stop. Silence.

 

“What do you think happened?” Joel asks, sincerity in his voice. He stares at the radio from every angle, examining everything and thinking about what could have caused the lost connection.

 

“I don't know.” James shakes his head in uncertainty. “Maybe we should check on them.”

 

“They're at the other end of the ship, James. Whatever it is, it can't get us from here.” Joel returns to his work, picking wires and shifting through his belt pockets for similar ones.

 

“Yeah, and if it _is_ something, we can't get out of here. We're trapped in this Wing,” James stares holes into Joel's unconcerned head. “Can't we just see what happened? Just to see if Bruce is alright?” 

 

Joel shrugs, “you can go. I still need to fix this thing.” Joel mumbles one last comment, “everything on this damn ship is busted.”

 

They both hear an explosion somewhere in the ship. The station shakes and shifts in a diagonal direction. Joel sits up and turns his head towards the airlock behind him, grabbing hold of the wall anchors. James catches his grip on belt anchors above him and shifts to the side to look at the airlock as well. Both men are quick to meet eyes in shock.

 

“Holy shit. What was that, Joel?”

 

“Does it look like I know? Just go investigate or whatever. I'm not leaving this spot,” Joel snaps.

 

James huffs and pushes himself back to the floor.

 

“James?” Joel cranes his neck up to watch the man touch down onto the floor.

 

“Yeah?” James shot out the reply fast, looking back up.

 

Joel shakes his radio in his hand, “radio me if something comes up, okay?”

 

“Yeah sure.” With that, James glides in the direction of the explosion. Joel gets one more glance at James before the airlock fizzes shut.

 

Joel puts his radio back on his belt and returns to the floating wires. A tiny aquarium of red, black, and green wires and cables dancing with delicacy in the air, all pointing towards his face. He looks back out the window and sighs. With the sudden shift in the station, unfamiliar stars and planets shine new light through the thick wall of glass. Joel has never been a fan of change. He takes a tug at his cables to assure himself the shift didn't untie anything and grabs his pliers.

 

After some time passes, Joel unhooks his radio and pushes a button. “Anything yet, James?” he calls out.

 

After a second, James' voice comes though the speakers, _“no, not yet. Everything looks normal so far.”_

 

“That's good. Keep me updated.” Joel hooks the radio back onto his belt.

 

He goes back to work. Twisting, pulling, stripping, taping- it's all monotonous. All the same actions again and again like a machine. He'd be lying if he said he knows what he's doing.

 

Without warning, Adam's voice clicks though the radio speaker, _“what's going on? I heard something earlier. Was that you guys?”_

 

Joel fumbles for his radio and responds like a whip. He's happy to hear that he and James aren't the only ones left. “Adam? I wasn't expecting to hear from you. Why are you on the same station as James? Whatever. No, we don't know what it was. James is investigating right now. We've lost contact with Bruce right before it hit. Have you seen Lawrence?”

 

Adam's voice scratches through the speakers, _“I was hoping James was with you so I changed the station. I guess we're both trying to figure it out. No I haven't seen Lawrence. And I just saw Bruce a few minutes ago. Do you think the explosion has something to do with him?”_

 

Joel scoffs, “that bastard. I knew you were out there still.” He clicks back to the radio, “if this has something to do with Bruce, you know he's dead. Do you mind teaming up with James? I'm a little busy at the moment.”

 

_“Yeah sure. I'm on it.”_

 

“Cool.” He clips his radio back onto his belt. He stares at the wires some more. How do they work? Who thought of something like this? How can they be so small yet so complex?

 

For a few minutes, he sits in silence. Just thinking. He completely ignores the windows. He doesn't have the patience for unimportant things right now. Then why won't he get up from his spot? He starts to untie the knots around the anchor.

 

Then another explosion hits.

 

The station jolts diagonally again and this time Joel has to hold onto his anchors to keep from moving too far. Once he is able to sit upright, Joel twists to look behind him. The airlock is still shut.

 

He forces the radio from its spot on his belt and pushes a button, “you boys alright?”

 

He hears James' voice first, _“I'm fine. I felt the crash but I didn't hear anything. Was it bad?”_

 

Joel turns away from the airlock and counts his tools in his head. This blow was more intense than the last one so he hopes nothing drifted too far away. “Sounds like,” he replies, “how are you doin' over there, Adam?”

 

Silence.

 

Joel calls out into the radio once again, “Adam?”

 

Static and rushing noises sound through the speakers. With caution, Adam's voice reaches through, _“huh? Yeah it's uhh...it's all good over here.”_

 

Joel raises a brow, “'you sure?”

 

Adam's voice sounds shaky and afraid, _“yeah, I mean....umm....James can you come to the Third Wing for a second? There's something here.”_ He must have been where the blast was, Joel thought.

 

James' voice follows Adam's through the speakers, _“yeah sure. I'm coming.”_

 

Silence. Now the silence is uncomfortable.

 

Joel held the radio back up in desperation, “keep me updated, okay boys?”

 

 _“Yeah sure,”_ James was the only one to reply.

 

Joel clips the radio to the edge of the open cable box cover and goes back to work. Tugging on wires, shifting bunches of cords around the small box. He can't find the problem but he knows for a fact that it's there.

 

“This damn thing. What happened to you?” he mumbles to himself. He works in the silence. The uncomfortable silence surrounds him inside this room and outside those windows. He tries to have any and every thought occupy his empty mind as he gives the wires a passive stare. What day is it? Is _anyone_ left on board? Is Adam alright? Then, an important thought emerges: what's in the Third Wing? Adam mentioned something was in there but never said what it was. 

 

Joel removes the radio from the box cover and pushes a button, “Adam, what's in the Third Wing? James?”

 

Silence. No sound comes out of the speakers.

 

“Adam? James? Guys? Do you copy?”

 

Silence. Not even static. Had they turned off their radios?

 

In a moment of desperation, Joel turns the dial to another station.

 

“Matt, do you read me?”

 

Matt's voice moves through the radio speakers with a smooth click, _“loud and clear, Joel.”_

 

Joel thinks for a second. “Have you seen Adam or James around? Maybe Lawrence or Bruce, too?”

 

_“What's wrong? Are they missing?”_

 

Joel continues,“so far, Lawrence is missing and Bruce, Adam, and James have all lost contact with me. Adam and James both reported going to the Third Wing and that's near you so I figured you saw them.”

 

Matt replies with an impassive tone, _“nope, haven't seen them.”_

 

“Are you even near the Third Wing right now?”

 

_“No, I'm with Sean in the Second Wing. Where are you?”_

 

“The back of the Fourth. For some reason the wires here have gone berserk and the computers aren't responding in this Wing. I can't leave my spot or else we lose the most important part of the ship, you know? What are you guys doing there? There's not a whole lot to do in the Second Wing.”

 

Matt chuckles, Joel assumes it's at something Sean said, _“oh, you know, our afternoon lunch beak.”_

 

Joel rolls his eyes, “I can't even begin to describe how lame that excuse sounds, Matt. That's not important right now. Does Sean have his radio? Sean do you copy?”

 

Matt fumbles with his radio, _“uhh, hold on.”_

 

Silence.

 

Sean's voice nearly blows out the speakers and Joel has to turn the radio away from his face, _“sorry, my radio's dead. I'm using Matt's. I copy, Joel.”_

 

Joel sighs, “that's good. Have you been listening to our conversation?”

 

_“Yeah. I don't know where they are. This is too freaky.”_

 

“Tell me about it. Okay here's the plan: I want you boys to check the Second Wing top to bottom and report anything you see. Once you're done, split up and one of you check the Third Wing and the other check the First. I'll be on the lookout here. Got it?”

 

Matt takes the radio back and replies, _“yeah we got it.”_

 

“Good. Remember: report everything. I want all the details. This is too strange to be a coincidence. Get moving.”

 

Matt spoke again, _“Rodger.”_

 

Silence. It broke through Joel's ear drums like nothing else. It rings through his head and takes his thoughts as it exits. He just sits on the roof of the room, staring into the inner workings of his home. The place he's known for 4 months now. God does he want to go back to Earth and escape all this. He wants to be with his dog and his beautiful girlfriend and just be happy. He thought space made him happy but it doesn't. Space is full of danger and losing those you love and a quick death around every corner. Joel doesn't want to be here anymore.

 

Yet he continues to work. Pulling at wires and taping new ones to loose ends. Was this thing even broken? What was he trying to fix?

 

The depth of his thoughts muffled the sound of another explosion. The extreme jolt that followed it brought Joel back to the present. It threw Joel to the side, his right tether becoming completely untied and sending him flying to the left. With one hand he grabs onto his remaining tether which stayed tied down to the anchor. Joel waits in free fall until the moving slows down. He pulls himself back to the ceiling after being thrown upright and uses his free hand to grab his radio and push a button. “Matt? Sean? You guys okay?” he cries into the radio.

 

Matt replies calmly, _“yeah we're fine.”_

 

“I was launched almost across the fucking room. I was hoping you guys were alright.”

 

_“Yeah it's all good over here. We felt the station shift but we're fine. We didn't hear the actual explosion though.”_

 

“Huh. That's weird.”

 

_“Huh?”_

 

“James and Adam didn't hear the crashes either. Are they only happening near the Fourth Wing? I can't tell.”

 

_“Yeah man I don't know what to tell you. We're still in the Second Wing. I'll keep you updated if I hear anything, though.”_

 

“Good.” Joel clips the radio to his belt.

 

Silence.

 

Joel tries to go back to work but he can't. He remains suspended above the cable box, one hand still clamped down on his cable. He looks up at it decides to go back to work. With what upper body strength he has, he pulls himself back up and flips around to his original sitting position. It's hard to keep still in this zero gravity environment. He fumbles around and does his best to force his body to sit. Right before he reaches over to tie his tether down, he thinks. Maybe he deserves a break. All this stress is getting to him and he can't even think about the task at hand anymore. 

 

He reaches to his right side and unclasps the tether around his belt loop but leaves the left one on his belt. He stretches his legs for the first time in what feels like forever, launching himself toward the floor and touching it with his fingertips. He holds there for a second and just feels the stretch run through his spine. He smiles to himself and forces his legs down, lying on his back.

 

Joel puts one hand behind his head and uses the other to pick up the radio and turn to another station.

He figures one more shot couldn't hurt as he demands into the box, “Adam, James, do you boys read me?”

 

Silence.

 

“Adam, James, do you copy?”

 

Silence. Not a single sound.

 

Joel turns to another station.

 

“Matt, Sean, do you read me?”

 

Matt's voice crawls its way through the speakers, _“I read you, Joel. Sean and I split up so it's just me now.”_

 

Joel nods to himself, “okay good. Was everything alright in the Second Wing?”

 

_“Nothing unusual.”_

 

“Alright. Where are you now?”

 

_“On my way to you, Joel.”_

 

Joel sat up in confusion, “what? Why? I told you to go to either the Third or First Wing, Matt.”

 

_“Yeah, about that.”_

 

Joel knows what that means and it's what he didn't want to hear. He looks up at the cable box, “don't tell me.”

 

_“ Sean's in the First Wing. The entire Third Wing is gone, Joel. The airlock to it is still shut, though. Only the first one. Everything beyond that is just gone.”_

 

Joel turns his head back down and runs a hand through his hair, “how in God's name....”

 

_“I don't know either. If Adam and James were over in the Third Wing then-”_

 

Joel cut him off. “I get it.” He didn't want those words spoken. These are the dangers of living in space.

Joel takes a breath. “Goddamn it all,” he sighs in defeat.

 

Matt's voice is quick to respond, _“Joel, it's not your fault.”_

 

“Just....just get over here. Get Sean here, too.”

 

_“Rodger. I'm heading to the First Wing to get him now.”_

 

“Good.”

 

Silence.

 

Joel lays back down and stares at the radio in his hand. He feels like a teenage girl waiting for a call from her crush. Maybe if he tries hard enough then maybe he rest of his crew can still be alive. Maybe if he calls enough times someone will respond. Maybe not all is lost.

 

Joel thinks. If the First Wing is still in-tact and Bruce was in there then...

 

Joel jolts upright and changes the station on the radio. “Bruce, do you copy?”

 

Silence.

 

Joel's voice is harsh yet hopeful, “I know you're there, Bruce. Answer me.”

 

Silence.

 

“Bruce, this isn't funny. Pick up the radio, Bruce.” Now he's starting to tear up.

 

Silence.

 

Joel shoves the radio back onto his belt and holds his head in his hands, “goddamn it.”

 

Joel hears voices from behind the airlock. They grow closer and closer. Joel wipes the tears from his eyes and stands up, holding onto one of the wall railings.

 

“Joel? Joel you here?” one of the voices call out from behind the door. It's Matt and Sean.

 

“Yeah guys come on in.”

 

The airlock door opens and Matt and Sean hover in, closing and sealing the door behind them.

 

Matt looks away from the door and nods to Joel, “hey, man.”

 

Joel smirks, “hey.”

 

“Still no luck contacting any of them?” Matt asks.

 

“No. Can you guys try? Maybe it's something with my radio.”

 

Sean looks up at Joel, “you sounded clear to me.”

 

Joel give a desperate look back at Sean, “just try, okay?”

 

Matt takes out his radio and turns to a different station. “Hey, anyone on this line?”

 

Silence.

 

Sean takes the radio. “Hellooo? Adam? James? Bruce? Larr?  _ Anyone _ ? You there?”

 

Silence.

 

Joel smiles the sweetest smile, “thanks, Sean.”

 

Sean hands the radio back to Matt. He shrugs and blushes, “I just wanted to feel helpful.”

 

They listen a few more seconds for a response. Nothing comes through so Matt changes the station again. “This is Bruce's channel. Hopefully he'll pick up,” he pushes the button and begins to talk, “anyone on this line?”

 

Silence. Still no response from the other side.

 

Matt speaks again in a more demanding tone, “does anyone copy?”

 

Suddenly, they hear a voice on the radio. The voice is one Joel has never heard and when their words reach his ears, his heart sinks into the abyss beyond those windows.

 

_“Sup, bitches?”_

 

 


End file.
